Rue's Legacy
by Randomcat100
Summary: In an alternate Hunger Games universe, Prim is never chosen for the 74th annual Hunger Games. But Rue is. What will happen to the 12 year old from District 11 in her Games? Does she win? Does she lose? In the original universe, could Katniss have been - indirectly - Rue's destruction?
1. Chapter 1 The Reaping

I know I'm done for the moment I hear my name. First I hear my last name, and a funny feeling forms in my chest.

_It's okay, Rue, _I think, _the last name's common enough. There'll be some other kid with your last name. _

And then: "Rue."

I'm not too sure what happens after that. I know someone lets out a blood-freezing scream of, "_No_!" I'm not sure if it is my family or me. I do know that every single head turns my way. I stumble forward. My chest feels like it's about to explode. So does my mind. Other girls hurriedly scramble out of way as I move forwards. Like I'm some kind of bomb about to go off. Like being a Tribute is contagious and if I touch them, they'll die, too. Because I have no chance of winning.

I step onto the stage. It groans in protest even under my light weight. The stage smells strongly of mildew, and nobody ever really uses it. Except for once a year.

"So you're Rue?"

In this moment, as I step up to the mike, I realize I can't remember what this woman's name. The one who has just chosen me to die over every single other girl in District 11.

"Yeah," I mumble.

She smiles a sugar-sweet smile and says, "And now…for the boys."

She fumbles around in the bowl, and pulls out a name. And when she reads it, I feel like I'm about to vomit. It's Thresh, the boy who works in the same field as me. He's much older than I am, much stronger, but he's also very good to me. He almost races onto the stage to throw his arms around me. I throw mine around his waist.

"Well, we're in this together," he says. I'm too stunned to respond. He seems to understand this and steps away from me. The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur. I'm aware of standing there, shaking like I've never shaken before, and of being taken away by some Peacekeepers. I'm aware of saying good-bye in the Justice Building. Aware of being taken onto the train. Aware of Thresh's strong arms around me as I stare at my district for the last time. Just as the train leaves the station, a mockingjay flutters by the window and whistles a four-note song. I whistle back.


	2. Chapter 2 The Train Part One

Chapter Two

My bed is covered in a beautiful, sky-blue satin. It's incredible, really, how soft it is. I can't help but keep sneaking peeks at myself in the full-length mirror. Not because of what I'm wearing, but because it's fascinating to see myself in a mirror that isn't coated in grime and isn't cracked. I still haven't changed out of my dress. It's the only pretty thing I own; Mom made it three years ago. It's definitely too tight, presses against my ribs until they hurt, and is too short. But we couldn't afford the fabric for a new Reaping dress.

The train is easily the most luxurious place I've ever been. Even better than the Justice Building. I've only ever been there once before. Today.

It was Thresh's second time. The first time was a few years ago, when his family was killed in a plowing accident. He only has his grandmother and cousin now, I've met them both. I like them.

The knock comes unexpectedly. My head jerks upwards. "Come in," I say, voice small.

It's Thresh. He sits on the edge of my bed.

"Hey, little one," he says softly. "Hanging in there okay?"

"Yeah," I murmur.

He pats his lap and I slide over to sit in it.

"The tapes of the other Tributes came in. Would you like to watch them?"

I pause. At first I think I don't care about the other tributes. Who they are, or where they're from. But then I realize I do. I care because I want to know who to avoid.

"Okay."

We watch the tape in silence. Me in his lap. He strokes my forehead ever so gently. Although there are many Tributes, only a few make an impression. The Tributes from District One are a pretty blonde girl; I think her name's Glimmer, and a very scary looking boy who has dusty brown hair, who actually volunteered. Then are the ones from District Two. The girl is named Clove. She has very dark hair and freckles sprinkle her nose. She has a very piercing glare that says she thinks she will win. The boy is eighteen for sure; he is muscular and has the same dark hair as Clove. The others that make an impression on me are a sly-looking red-haired girl from District Five. She gives me the slight impression of a fox.

The Tributes from 12 get chosen. There is a girl, maybe 14 or 15, with light brown hair who is picked. Her name is Nadia. The boy is blond and well built, and I can't recall his name. Peter? Peeta?

"Well?" Thresh says at last.

I crawl out of his lap. "They're all so…_big._"

He laughs and gives me a hug. "Don't pay attention to their size, Rue," he tells me. Don't. Pay attention to how they act. How clever they seem. It's always the clever ones that win."

"But last year…"

"That girl was clever _and _a Career. Listen to me, Rue. You may not be strong, but you're real smart. And you can climb trees and you can run, run really fast. You have more of a chance than I do!"

What? But Thresh is so strong and big and fast. Smart, too. If anyone's going to win, it's him.

There is a knock. The lady pops her head in to see Thresh's hand on mine. His hands gently stroking my face. My every detail.

"And Rue," he breathes, "no matter what happens, no matter what, I will protect you."

We both ignore the lady. Her name waltzes casually into my mind. Amelia! Amelia Star.

"You mean…you mean you want us to be allies?"

"No. I mean if you get in trouble, you scream. You scream my name and I will come help you."

"And if you get in trouble, Thresh? I will come help you."

His face darkens. "No. If I get in trouble and I get hurt bad, real bad, then you'll be one step closer to winning."


	3. Chapter 3 The Train Part Two

Chapter Three

The chairs are too soft, or maybe it's just me. Anyways, they make me squirm. Thresh is sitting next to me, and he winks. I try to wink back, curious.

I look up sharply as a girl in red serves me some vegetables, and an exotic-looking meat.

'Thank you," I say, smiling up at her.

The girl nods and serves Thresh. She serves Amelia, and she serves an empty plate. I'm assuming it's our mentor's. She leaves quickly. Just as she does, the door slides open, and there in the doorway is Chaff, our mentor. I'd never met him before, but for some reason, he scares me. It's not the stump where his arm used to be. Not his tightly-packed muscles. It's the look in his eyes-tired and nervous.

"So…looks like we've got ourselves an interesting team," he says, sitting down. He smiles at us. "A little honey-pie and one strong tough guy."

I feel myself blush. He laughs. I decide to try my food. I pick up a chunk of meat and roll it between my fingers. I shove it into my mouth.

Soon as I do, a dozen flavours explode on my tongue. Salty, sweet, spicy, and a whole bunch of unnamable ones. I sigh quietly.

Chaff laughs. "It's good, isn't it? The food here?"

And for one moment I forget I'm here, and I forget everything that's happening to me. I forget I'm going to die.

"Is it ever!" I almost shout.

I lick my fingers. Ignore the look of digust that curls onto Amelia's face-the curling lip, the wrinkling nose. I try a piece of cabbage. It's even better than the meat!

A sharp intake of breath comes from Thresh. "Oh my Lord," he breathes. "The Capitol…we're here!"

"Already?" I ask in disbelief. My chair squeals as I stand abruptly and race over to the window. He's right; we are. Millions of faces, covered in make-up smile and cheer. I feel a bitter hatred toward these people. They are going to have fun watching kids die. They always have.

I feel the train slow, elegantly, gently. When it finally comes to a stop, I am opening the door.

"RUE! THRESH! RUE! THRESH! RUE! THRESH!" The cheers come flying at me.

_Like they really care. When I die, they will smile and go right on betting._

Amelia gently shoulders Thresh and I through the crowd, and into an enormous building.

I turn around in a slow circle, come to awe eith how very magnificent the Capitol is.

Everything shimmers, everything sparkles. It is beautiful.

"Rue! Come on! We have to get you ready for the Chariots!" Amelia's voice sings at me. I glance over my shoulder and hurry after her.


	4. Chapter 4 The Chariots

Chapter Four

My stylist is a quiet man who does not introduce himself. He seems nice enough, but I know better. He is dressing me up to prepare me for death. Like a party. It's all one big party for the people in the Capitol.

He dresses me in a shimmery denim gown and weaves little flowers of straw into my hair. It feels ridiculous, and Thresh is dressed in shiny overalls and a straw hat. Such a stereotypical image of a farmer. So pathetic.

"Rue, listen to me." Thresh's voice is quiet. "Rue."

"What?" I turn to face him as we make our way towards our chariot.

"When we come out, this is their first chance to really see us. So they can look at us. It's our best chance at getting sponsors. Whatever you do, act sweet. You're twelve, so you should be able to charm them. Smile, wave, do whatever it takes."

I nod. "I know."

"And you're up! Get in, get in!" Chaff calls quietly. Glance curiously at him and he grins. "Don't worry, it's not too bad."

"I'm not worried." I lie.

I clamber into the chariot. Our horse tosses his head. "And…RIDE, Moon Destiny!" Chaff calls. Our horse, I imagine this is Moon Destiny, begins to trot. In a few seconds, I see them. Millions upon millions of Capitol citizens. They cheer and yell and point. I glance hurriedly at Thresh. He nods, ever so slightly. I wave at them, leaning on Thresh. I wave and smile and blow a kiss at one particular Capitol woman who seems to have her eyes fixated on me.

The screams rise violently, harsh and pointed whoops. I turn around. It's Peeta and Nadia, the District Twelve tributes. They have capes that look like they are on fire. Nadia holds her head high and waves. She seems almost happy. The Capitol points at them. "Nadia! Peeta! Nadia! Peeta!" the cheers come. They feel like a slap in the face. All eyes are on the District Twelve tributes. All they care about is how good they look.

When President Snow comes on live I tune him out. I hate him, I hate him, I HATE him. I refuse to listen to a word this fool says.

"Rue…" Thresh says quietly. I jerk my head away. "Rue."

"I don't care about what he has to say," I whisper.

"Yeah, well, neither do I. But don't make it so obvious, fool."  
"Oh," is all I can manage.

It feels like hours until we get to leave our chariots.

"What now?" I ask. It is almost a whisper.

Amelia smiles, bright as a star. "Now you get to see the luxury apartments! They're absolutely beautiful! Satin bedding and velvet carpets and obviously leather sofas. I really and wholly think the both of you will enjoy your time in the Capitol. And training is good, too, it really raises your spirits!" her smile spreads wide. She positively beams at us. All Thresh and I can do is stare openly.

Amelia sighs. "Rue…Thresh…listen to me, both of you. I know you're here, and I know you're very unhappy about it. But on the bright side, you can enjoy and bathe in the luxury of all this."

I clear my throat. She smiles even wider, if that is scientifically possible. "Yes, Rue?"

I pause. Of course, I didn't mean to say a thing.

I shake my head. All of a sudden, something hits me in the stomach. Hard. At first I think I've been punched. Then I realize it's a memory, but a painful one. Or more like the idea of it being painful. It's my sister, Suzy. The youngest one. She's six now. It's the morning before the Reaping.  
_Mom is telling Suzy something._

"Mom?" I say quietly. She looks up. She makes eye contact with me, and the truth crawls up my neck. I know what she's telling Suzy. I know exactly what.  
"Maybe you'd better tell her, Rue. She might understand better if you tell her."

I nod. "Come on Suzy." I say softly, and she looks at me with wide brown eyes. "It'll only be a minute."

Suzy nods and we walk over to the room I share with Amanda, my oldest younger sister. Suzy shares one with Emma and Lucy. Our parents sleep on the small sofa in the living room, if you can call it a living room.

"Okay, so, you know how every year we go to that special ceremony in the square, the one they call the Reaping?"

Suzy nods.

"Well, you know how they pick two kids each year? And they leave and go into that big building?"

"The Justice Building." Suzy says in a matter-of-fact little girl voice.  
"That's right. Well, this year, my name might get picked. Probably not but it might. So if I do get picked, I am going to go and…live in the Capitol, okay? And I won't be able to come back. I have to tell you this because I might not have time if my name is picked."

Suzy stares at me, all big-eyed. At last, she says, "Rue? If your name gets picked, will you go to that forest and die?"

I look at her in surprise. She already knows. She already knows what happens to those kids who get picked. I could tell her no, that'd be silly, but she deserves to know the truth.

"Yes, Suzy. If my name is picked, which I doubt, I might die."


	5. Chapter 5 Training

The apartment is not something I might call an apartment. It's more like a mansion on one floor. The black tiles shine and the sofas, leather, just like Amelia said, are a bright white color. The carpet is fuzzy and green and for some reason, all I want is to lie down on it and have a really good cry.

Instead, I retreat into my room, which is small but strikingly luxurious. I lie down on the white satin bedspread. I curl up into a little ball. I feel like I'm a little girl again, crying when I spilled some wheat I was carrying. I take several deep breaths and I feel the tears well up and I cry my heart out. I keep crying until I fall asleep.

When I wake up, Thresh is sitting on my bed. He's wearing a ridiculous piece of ivory-colored nightwear. I almost smile.

"Hi, Thresh," I say.

"Are you okay?" he asks me quietly.

I nod. "I guess so…why?"

"You were screaming in your sleep."

Of course I was. I can't remember what I was dreaming about, though. I remember a few things. A spear. A bow and arrow. Screaming. Cannons firing, signaling another dead Tribute. Crying. Blood. Blood everywhere.

"Bad dream?"

"Of course," I say, sitting up. "Are we going to do training?"

He nods. "Right after breakfast."

"I don't think I can eat. Call me when everyone's finished. I'm going to try and sleep some more."

He nods again. Gets up. Leaves quietly and respectfully. I walk over to the enormous wardrobe against one wall. Pull open one door. There are many things to chose from. A long silk nightdress. A few long, brightly colored dresses. And…my training outfit. Smoky black and small, it seems like a perfect fit. I pull off the denim gown my stylist gave me and change into this. The outfit is a snug fit, with a small red _11_ in one corner.

I sit back down. The least I can do is think about strategies on surviving the first few days at least. I know not to run towards the Cornucopia. I know I should study the plant center so as I know what to eat. I know I should go back to the Cornucopia at night to gather some leftovers. A backpack. A knife. I have to hide in the trees.

"Rue?"

It's Chaff. He smiles at me. "Don't you look charming today?"

I shrug.

"Aren't you hungry? The food is…" he pauses. "Superb."

"No, I'm not hungry. But…thanks anyways."

"You're welcome. Ready for training?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Thresh is just-ah, here he is!"

Thresh pokes his head in. "Hi, Rue."

I lift a hand. "Hi."

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

I stand up and he pokes me in the belly. I smile and laugh. We are quiet for a bit, then we enter the elevator and go down to training.

"In 2 weeks, 23 of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you pay attention these next few days."

The woman in charge of training us smiles. Cruelly.

I tune her out, like I did Snow. In a few moments training begins.

I go for the edible plants station. Sitting at it are Nadia, the girl from 12, the girl from 3, whose name is apparently Anna Lisa, and the boy from her district, whose name, I learn, is Leon. The Careers, of course, go to the weapons. Some other Tributes go there, too. A few wander over to Camouflage, and one, I think it's the boy from 5, goes for knot-tying.

Anna Lisa looks at me. "Do you know if this berry is okay? It says it's from one of the outlying districts in this book, and I'm too lazy to read the rest."

I stare at her. Openly. "It's edible. We eat them all the time at home. But that attitude won't help you in the arena, you know."

She shrugs, shouldering back her two blond plaits. "It doesn't matter, really, I'll only eat what I know."

I shrug. "Suit yourself."


	6. Chapter 6 Initiation

Chapter Six

My schedule blurs into my life. Wake up. Eat. Go to training. Eat. Go to training. Go to the apartment. Eat. Sleep. On the third day, however, something new adds on to my basic schedule. Training initiation.

I sit on the bench next to Thresh. Right now, the girl from 10 is in there. Just a few left. Then us. Then us.

The doors whoosh open and the girl from 10 walks out. The boy from 10 gets up enters.

'What are you going to do?" I ask softly.

He grins. "Me? I don't know, maybe I…I'll show them what I can to with an axe." Thresh makes a swinging motion and I try to smile.

"What about you?" he asks suddenly.

"Me?" I'm struck by the fact, all of a sudden, that I really have no idea. "I don't know! I think I'll show them what I know about…about…knot-tying?"

Thresh claps me on the back. "Rue! Show them what you used to do back home. In the orchards."

I look at him in surprise. "What, you mean the stupid jumping from tree to tree thing? That? That's nothing! Anyone could do that!"

He rolls his eyes. Suddenly, the doors open. My turn. I rise shakily. I feel like I am almost vibrating with fear. I enter the room slowly. The doors shut behind me with Thresh's "Good luck!"

The Gamemakers sit in a raised balcony area over dinner. They laugh and talk amongst themselves. I stand petrified on the spot, waiting for them to acknowledge my presence. They don't. maybe they want me to start. I walk over to where the ropes hand loosely on a rack. I reach for them, thinking of how my fingers must work to tie the knots. But I don't. I pull myself onto the rack and balance carefully on it. It scarcely trembles. I cough and bunch back my muscles. The only sound is my breathing.

I jump. I am flying through the air. I land, without making a sound, on the archery rack. Seneca Crane looks up. I have his attention. Good. I jump again towards the spears and knives. Again, I land perfectly. The Gamemakers are watching me quietly but not without elbowing eachother and mumbling. I duck my head and jump again, this time landing on the rack with the swords and machetes. And I jump again.

Again. Again…again…again…again…

At last I bounce off the camouflage rack onto the floor. I stand still. Are they going to say something? Will they give me my score now, or later?

Later, apparently because they return to their dinner as if I was never there. If they're ignoring me, I must have done badly. I feel tears well up in my eyes, just like they do every night, and run from the room.

"Rue!" Thresh calls after me but I don't care. I run to the elevator and press the right button. It dings on every floor. I sink to the ground and bury my face in my knees.

I am going to die. I will never see my family again. Mom. Dad. Amanda. Emma. Lucy. Suzy…

I scream. Almost mockingly, the elevator dings again and the doors open. Amanda, Chaff, my stylist, and prep team all stare at me.

"Well?" says Chaff.

I don't even look at him. I run to my room and throw myself onto my bed. Body shaking with sobs. I don't know how long I lie there, crying, but I know I don't want to see a soul. Chaff, Amelia, my stylist and prep team. Thresh.

I hear the elevator bing and I know Thresh is here. I don't want to see him, but of course he comes.

"You okay? Rue?"

I don't look at him. "I'm going to die!" I answer bitterly.

Thresh swats at me. "I don't like that attitude, Rue. You are not going to die. You are going to win. You have…you have…potential."

Potential. Right. I sit up and just about glare at him. "I'm not going to win, Thresh!"

"You will." Thresh's voice is firm. I look at my hands. "Are they done yet?"

"Well, I think they should be finishing with the girl from 12, Nadia."

"It takes a couple hours, right?" I whisper.

"About. Don't worry, though, I'm sure you got a high score. An 8, at least."

"More like 2. If I'm lucky."

"Why? Did you do what I told you?"

"Yes! But they didn't care."

Thresh pauses and pats his lap. I obediently crawl into it. "Rue, the score does not matter. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I say softly. My voice is so small, it's unrecognizable. Even smaller than it was at the Reaping.

Thresh nods. 'There we go."

Several hours later, I am sitting cross-legged on the carpet. Thresh is sitting in an armchair. Amelia thought it would be suitable if we each had a huge bowl of chocolate-covered pretzels. I've never had a pretzel before, chocolate covered or otherwise. They're delicious, though right now I don't know how I can eat.

"From district 10…Mark…a score of 6…." Says Claudius Templesmith on the huge flat-screen TV.

_Me next_, I think.

"From District 11…Rue…with a score of…"

It seems like the dramatic pause is just for me. I stop with a pretzel halfway to my lips, unable to speak. My score! I'm going to get my score!

"Seven."

"Rue!" Amelia screams in delight. "That's a wonderful score!"

"Good job, little Rue." Says Thresh, smiling proudly.

I stare at the screen in shock. Seven? So high? I though they hated me! I guess I was mistaken. I think about my high score, hardly noticing as Thresh gets a 10 and I congratulate him. With a score like that, maybe I stand sliver of a chance at making the final eight. At least.


	7. Chapter 7 Interviews

Chapter Seven

Interviews. My heart is coming alive in my chest. I take several deep and shaky breaths. In one hour, I am going to be live in front of all of Panem. Of course, I was at the Reaping, too, but somehow this is different. Very different.

"Well, that dress looks great on you." My stylist says simply, running his fingers down the silver-blue fabric. It's pretty. I stare at him, and he respects me by backing off. Good! I don't care, frankly, about whether or not it's pretty. In the Capitol, I'd look just as pretty with an arrow in my chest, screaming as I collapse on the ground. And that's probably what will happen, too.

"You'd better hurry up in there, Rue!" Amelia yells at me. "Your sundae's melting! Why do you want her to change now, Mercer? Why? She'll get sundae all over that dress!"

Mercer. So that's his name. I sigh.

Mercer wanted to see my in my dress, something about "freshness of the fabric making it look unrealistic."

"It has to be a little wrinkled!" Mercer said.

"Oh," was all I could say.

"RUE!" Amelia screams it.

"Coming!" I shout back and I leave for the sundae.

"Well, Rue, I want to start by congratulating you for your score. Seven! Wow! It's a very good score for your age." Caesar Flickerman is all smiles. It's start

I stare down at my hands, folded in my lap. "I guess."

"How, if I may, did you get that wonderful score?"

"I can't tell you that."

Caesar laughs, all white flashing teeth. "So, let's get real serious. Why do you think you'll win?"

I pause. I wish I could say, "But I don't think I'll win." I don't. Instead, I say, "Because I have a good technique. I can climb trees…I'm pretty quick…and if they can't catch me, they can't kill me. So don't count me out."

This, this-this is my final line to them, this is what I will sign off with.

"Well…says Caesar, "not in a million years!"

He kisses my hand and stands, still holding it tightly. His grasp begins to make my hand numb. I want to pull away, but I can't.

"Rue!" he yells, and bows a little. Applause, and I leave to watch Thresh.

I am surprised he doesn't talk much. Just nods gruffly, mutters things I can't hear. He barely gets an applause. That bugs me. Why isn't he getting applause? They don't seem to like him at all. Does that mean he doesn't stand a chance?

In a way, I almost wish I won't win. If I win, Thresh will die. I can't stand losing him, he is my best friend. If it's not going to be me, I want it to be him.


	8. Chapter 8 First Day Of Oncoming Doom

Chapter Eight

I stand in the tube, absolutely paralyzed with fear. In thirty seconds, it is going to go up.

I sink down to the ground of my tube. Mercer is gone. Amelia, too. Thresh is in another tube, somewhere. I wonder what he's thinking now. Is he scared? Of course he is.

I begin to cry. I've never cried like this before. Not on those nights when I had to enter my name in the bowl seven times for tesserae. Not when I was reaped, those sleepless nights in the Capitol. I spend the longest twenty seconds of my life crying.

"No," I whimper, "please, no!" I kick the clear plastic. "No, no, no…I want to go _home_! I want to go _home_!"

The tube begins to move. I wipe my eyes at once. I can't look weak. I need sponsors. My eyes are probably red, but at least I'm not sobbing. The light explodes and burns my eyes. And…there it is. The Cornucopia. I have seen it on television far back as I can remember. And now it is literally right in front of me.

60…59…58…57…

I turn to see Thresh, and he sucks in his breath sharply.

42…41…40…39…38…

I skim the area behind me with my eyes and see a perfect retreat. It is just behind a thick shrub and very hidden. That is where I will go.

31…30…29…28…27…

Will my family be okay if I die? I think of Suzy, of Amanda, of Emma, of Lucy, of my parents.

20…19…18…17…16…

Thresh is signaling something at me. I furrow my brow to show him I see him. He's nodding at the woods. I nod slightly.

10…9…

I must avoid the Bloodbath.

5…4…3…2…1.

I whip around and I run. Run with everything I've got. I am not sure when I stop, but I keep going until the trees are thick enough. I don't know how far I am, but I can still here the screams. A girl is screaming someone's name.

"Mark! Mark! Mark, help! _Mark_!"

This Mark replies at once. "No…no…no! Genevieve, no!"

More screaming. I can't block it out. I climb a tree as high as I can climb until the branches become too thin to put pressure on. And I sit there. Thinking about all those dying kids now, what their families must be going through. I think of the girl I just heard die, Genevieve's, parents. Are they screaming in grief? Are they too shocked to say a word?

My dark thoughts keep me company until a cannon fires, followed by another. How many dead?

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

And that's it. Twelve dead already. Eleven to go. I wait several more hours until I climb down and come across a bush of blackberries. I eat them all, unsure why I am so hungry.

I stay on the ground from there. I don't know why.

I am sitting on the ground, writing the names of everyone I know in the dirt, when I hear rustling noises. Crap. I dive for the bushes and hide. The anthem begins.

From my hiding spot, I see them. The fallen. Is Thresh okay? I know he was going to run for the Cornucopia.

The faces and districts show in the sky. The girl from 3. The one who asked me that question in training. The boy from 4. The boy from 5. Both from 6. Both from 7. The boy from 8. Both from 9. The girl from 10. That's eleven. Please, God, don't let it be Thresh. It isn't. It's Peeta, the boy from 12. That's it. Thresh made it. Thank God. I just hope it doesn't come down to the two of us.

"Rue." It's Thresh. I look up, startled.

"Thresh-thank goodness you're alright!"

"Course I am. Now, Rue, I brought you…some stuff from the Cornucopia."

I stare at him. "Really? Okay. Thanks."

He pulls out a backpack. It has a knife and rope and a water canteen. Night vision goggles, the ones we use back home when we work the fields at night.

I pass him the knife. "I don't need it. I can make a slingshot, it's all I need."

"Rue!" His voice is sharp. "You take this knife."

I nod. "Fine. But let me make a slingshot with it. You go hunt."

Thresh nods in agreement. "Fine. See you in a bit here."

"See you."

I have no intention of using that knife, of course, but I use it to make a slingshot. I am just finished making it when I hear a cannon fire.


	9. Chapter 9 Sealed Fate

Chapter Nine

I jerk my head up. Fear pulses though me. "Thresh?" I say quietly. "Thresh?" When he doesn't answer, I raise my voice. "Thresh?" Still no answer. I scream out his name, feeling suddenly desperate. "_Thresh_!"

No answer. I break into a panic, kicking the trees and scaring off a bunch of birds. And then I hear it: the four-note whistle of mockingjays. Thresh is okay! Or, at least, still alive. I whistle back. I am so glad he's okay I begin to laugh. At last, he breaks through the underbrush.

"Oh, Rue," he says, "thank God! Thank God it wasn't your cannon. I was so scared-"

"I was scared for you, too," I say, sinking down to the ground. "Did you catch anything?"

"No, when I heard the cannon, I came to make sure you were okay. Let's eat some roots and berries tonight, I can catch something in the morning. Then we have to go our separate ways."

I know we do. Alliances are far too risky, or at least official ones. But still, the idea that I won't be with him, that we won't be here to protect eachother, bothers me. I dig up some familiar roots and Thresh picks blueberries. Not much of a feast, but it keeps us alive overnight. I need that. I need to win. Me or Thresh. I couldn't bear it if neither of us made it. But there are 10 left now, what with the recent death. I wonder who it was, how the last one died. Not that it matters. It's sad that they had to leave this way, but I guess every death leads everyone one step closer to winning. It's a gruesome thought, and I hate myself for it, but it's true.

"You should sleep," Thresh says out of the blue.

"I'll go to the trees, you stay down here. Who's first shift?"

"Me," Thresh replies, "you go get your sleep. I will wake you up when your shift starts." His voice is dull. It horrifies me, but only now do I notice he is covered in blood.

"That blood…" I whisper.

Thresh looks at me in surprise. "It's not my blood."

His eyes are haunted. "You killed someone, didn't you?" I say softly.

He ducks his head, avoiding eye contact. "Yes. The boy from 4."

I pause. I can't believe Thresh, loving, caring, Thresh, has just killed someone. Before me I do not see a killer. I see Thresh. The Thresh I know. The real one.

I retreat up the tree and fall asleep.

When I wake up Thresh is gone. He has left me, however, a little facecloth with raspberries and strawberries in it, a canteen of water, and a piece of cloth to for my slingshot. I realize, suddenly, I forgot to return his knife. I hope he'll be okay without it. I take a very small sip of water. We're not far from the river. I should fill up. I gulp down a whole lot more, instantly dampening my dry lips and quenching the burning sensation in my throat. I lift the little packet of berries to put in my backpack when I find a note, written in the dust. It's not signed, and it's not addressed, but I know it's from Thresh. I know his handwriting.

_Keep safe and keep to the trees. I will be at the lakeshore at sundown. _

That is all it says, and I know I must do as he says. We're not allies, not really, but it will help to have Thresh and I meet up once in a while.

I decide to go over to the lake now, and hide in a tree until sundown, when I will go down and meet Thresh. I begin to climb a tree when I hear voices. Great. I recognize the voice of Glimmer, the girl from One. The Careers are here? Oh, no! Now I definitely won't make it. I climb as fast as I can. I make it fairly high up, just at a perfect height and angle that I won't be seen unless they look directly up, 180 degrees.

"Should we set up camp here?" asks Glimmer.

"I don't know. I mean, it's good to have a water supply, but I really think we are better off at the river."

"But it's pretty here. It reminds me of home," says the girl from Four, ripping a burr from her chestnut brown hair, which is pulled into a ponytail on the side of her head.

"We can come back in a couple days, Jean." Clove suggests. "We can get more of those damn little Tributes, too, if we move around a bit."

"Speaking of which," says Glimmer, "who's left again?"

The girl from Four pauses to think. "Um…us, the boy from 3, the girl from 5, the boy from 10, the girl from 12, and the ones from 11."

"I want to kill Little Eleven! She was so annoying in training," the boy from One chimes in.

Little Eleven? That's me! Great! Not only am I a chosen target, but I'm within five meters of them.

I stay in my tree long after the Careers leave. I eat the berries and drink from my canteen. I wait for nightfall, for the anthem to begin, before beginning my descent. I learn that the Tribute who died today is the girl from 8, one of the older ones, maybe 16. Short gold hair.

I slide my legs into the cool lake water, allowing the iciness to cling to my skin, to my clothes, and shivers trickle up and down my spine.

I hear a twig snap, and my body immediately tenses up. I reach into my pocket for my slingshot and feel around for a rock. I find one, big and jagged. Perfect. I position it perfectly and aim directly for the source of the noise. Thresh emerges. He hurries up to me and gives me a huge hug.

"You're safe!"

"So are you," I say, climbing out of the water.

"Eleven left," he answers, "ten to go."

I tuck my knees in. "Got anything?"

He shakes his head. "No, no-"

A scream, followed by the boom of a cannon cuts him off. We both know that means the Careers are here, if we heard the scream. I rise, and Thresh points up the trees. I fly towards them, my feet easily finding holds on the branches. I climb fast as I can, and in seconds I am fully hidden, thanking the darkness for hiding me. Laughter.

"That was so easy!" Cato, the boy from Two. The odds don't seem to be in my favor today. Careers twice. Great.

Clove, his District partner, smiles and nods. "Exactly! She barely had a chance to scream, the wimp."

I feel my breath come out scared and shaky. Who is the girl they just killed? There are only a few non-Career girls left. The girl from 5. The girl from 12, and me. That's it.

Clove looks up at Cato adoringly. "Set up camp here or keep going?"

Glimmer rocks back and forth. Her golden locks casting an eerie glow over her face in the moonlight. "Let's keep going," she says. "We can come back in a couple days."

"Done," agrees the boy from One. "We'll continue."


	10. Chapter 10 Tracker Jackers

Chapter Ten

I stay by the lake, having forgotten all about the Careers. That they're targeting me.

The girl who died the other night, I learn, is Nadia, the girl from 12.

I am asleep when I hear their voices. The Careers. No one has died for two nights straight, and I think someone's hungry. I jerk into consciousness, startled by how quickly I transition from deep and comforting sleep to being fully alert. Eyes darting back and forth, muscles at the ready.

"_There _we go, Jeanette. Off to your happy little lake in a realm of lollipops and unicorns." Clove, the girl from District Two, says sarcastically.

Jeanette, from Four, snorts. "It is like home, Clove."

Clove rolls her eyes. "When it comes down to just us, I swear, you're the first one I take out."

"Is that a challenge?" Jeanette screams. "Is that a challenge?"

"I think it i…i…s…" Glimmer crows.

"Girls!" mutters Marvel.

_Careers_. I find their fight somewhat amusing. Odd, given the circumstances but- the way they fight like children is just hilarious. I can nearly ignore the pulsing fear coming alive inside me. Almost.

And that is when I hear the buzzing, just a tree or two down. I allow my eyes to stray over to it. I recognize the nest at once.

_Tracker Jackers. _

I don't move from the tree until the anthem of Panem begins playing. This is my cue. I inch forward on the branch and I leap. I can't even hear the rustle of leaves as I float, seemingly, towards the next tree. And then I jump again. I am about one meter below a nest full of a million of the deadliest insects in the universe.

I climb quietly. The buzzing gets louder, more intense. I pull out my knife carefully and pause. The anthem of Panem is nearly finished playing. I begin to cut. I get about a half of the way through when the anthem stops playing. If I continue cutting, the sound of wood being sawed will echo and vibrate through the woods like the sound of cannons. I decide to wait till tomorrow morning.

I wake sharply, as if doused in ice-cold water. I pause, breathing heavily. No weapons protruding from my body. I'm okay. I allow my gaze to flicker down to the ground fifteen meters below, where the Careers sleep. It slides upwards to the nest of Tracker Jackers. I know what to do, and it helps that they're sleeping. I reach upwards and begin to cut. The rip of wood makes one of the Careers, the girl from One, wake up sharply. "Hey…" she says, "hey, that's…that's Little Eleven! Guys! Guys, it's Little Eleven. Marvel…!"

The Careers are waking up. The girl from Two sits bolt upright and races over to the tree to climb. I cut harder, making small and gasping animal sounds. I am about to kill five people. Five steps closer. The Tracker Jackers buzz around frantically, and I wave them away with one hand. At last, the branch snaps. The nest goes plummeting downwards in a frenzy of buzzing and screaming. A couple of the Careers, Jeanette and the boy from 2, sleep on.

_Crack_! The next explodes, the buzzing intensifies. A sharp scream breaks out among the Careers. Jeanette and Cato break into wakefulness. Marvel and Clove take off in a heartbeat. I sit frozen to my branch. Have I caused all this damage, just like that? Glimmer is getting the full blast of it. The things surround her, her shrieks penetrate the air. Jeanette from Four is tangled in her sleeping bag, screaming for help. I stay frozen in the tree. Two people are about to die and it's entirely caused by me. At last, Jeanette manages to throw herself from the tangles of her sleeping bag and stumble into the underbrush. I wouldn't bet on her making it, though. The girl from One collapses on the ground at last, unable to hold on any longer. Her body shakes and spasms, boils oozing pus over her body. She used to be so beautiful, her long legs and slender form, the long gold locks tumbling around her shoulders, and wide green eyes. Now she is unrecognizable, her body covered in boils. She lies limply on the leaf-strewn earth. Her body gives one last spasm. She coughs one last time, and the cannon fires.

_I killed you_, I think. _I killed you. You're dead because of me. _

Another cannon fires, surely the girl from Four. The other person I just killed.

I climb down quickly and stealthily, and when I am low enough down, I jump. I land rough, but I shake that off. One thing, only one thing matters now. I must get through this. And that means getting away from the lake. I hear a twig snap behind me. A shout. "That's her! Little Eleven! She killed Jean and Glimmer!"

So they've caught me. Okay. I duck into the densest part of the underbrush. I am small enough to go through with total agility, while the Careers are so big they will stumble and make noise. A knife comes flying, but it misses me by a meter. The girl from Two, Clove, must have trouble seeing me. I've seen her in training. She can throw. She never misses a target. Never. I continue running until I know I have lost them, then I sink down at the foot of a tree. Tucked away between long, fat roots, still basking in the guilt of what I have just done.


	11. Chapter 11 Spying

Chapter Eleven

Their faces show in the sky. The girls from One and Four. Glimmer and Jeanette, the girls I killed. Glimmer's gold locks spill around her shoulders in the picture. She looks so different than the mutilated corpse she is now, it's hard to imagine it's the same girl. As for Jean, I never saw her body but I imagine it was left to a similar fate.

Twigs crackle. My body tenses. The Careers, probably, thirsty for revenge on the kid that killed two of their allies. I spot a familiar berry inches away, suddenly. I can't believe I never saw it earlier. _Nightlock_. Frighteningly poisonous. You'd be dead in a minute. Just one, and you're a goner. I grab a couple in my fist. If I'm attacked, I will shove it into their lips.

Thresh emerges. His arms enclose me in a hug. My own skinny arms wrap around him. I'm glad he's safe.

"Hey, Rue-you do know that's nightlock?"

"Yes, course I do. If anyone attacked me, I was planning on forcing it down their throat." I'm surprised by how vicious I sound. Not that I am not already vicious. I killed two people today. That means I could kill one more.

"Smart, but very un-Rue. So, two Careers down! Thought we should celebrate. I have water. And fish."

I stare at my hands. "Not hungry."

Thresh's gaze meets mine. "Are you sure you're okay, Rue? Neither of us have eaten much for two days."

"I'm fine!" The words are sharper than I intended.

Thresh draws back. "Okay. Sorry."

I look down. "I'm sorry, Thresh, I just…I want to be alone now."

Thresh knows me. He understands. And he nods politely. "Keep safe. I'll meet you in a couple days, at the lake. North shore."

"Got it," I mumble. I keep my eyes downcast as he leaves. I don't want to see Thresh. I just want to be alone.

Pick familiar berries. Drink water. Stay in the trees. It is a simple and easy rule to follow. Do this, and I might make it. That's what Thresh says. That's the opposite of what I do.

Instead I spy on the Careers. They pile up all their supplies in one great, big pyramid by the lake. Funny that they don't stray away from it; the lake. The place two of their allies died. Killed by a Tribute from an outlying District.

They team up with the boy from Three, Leon. I watch it all from my hiding spot in the bushes.

"Please, no! I…I can help you! Kill me later, but not _yet_! Please not yet!" he yells when they catch him in the trees.

"Help us?" sneers Cato, swinging his sword back and forth. Almost lazily.

Leon nods, eyes wide. "I can re-bury the mines. You can use them to defend your camp."

Clove raises a brow. "Oh? In that case, go ahead, and…we'll kill you then."

Leon shakes his head vigorously. "Please-no. I-I'm also good with the spear. Like you," he adds, nodding at Marvel, who nods his head. As if acknowledging his weapon partner.

"Would you defend our camp at the cost of your life, in exchange for a day or two of living?" Cato is skeptical.

"Yes, yes! I would…!"

"We've got ourselves a deal Techno Boy."

The wind is a quiet whisper, dancing through the trees. I have rope with me, and am tied to my tree in a sleeping bag. The Careers aren't far from here. I know I should get as far away from them as I can, but I can't help but think about all those supplies. My stomach pangs sharply in hunger. Blueberries are nothing compared to what we had at home, which wasn't much to begin with.

_Home_. I wonder how my family's doing now? They must be in shock I killed two girls. I am, too. I can see my sister Amanda standing in the square, staring at the huge television screen there, watching me. "Oh, Rue," she is whispering. "How could you?"

"I'm sorry, guys," I say softly. "About…everything. I'm sorry I killed them. Sorry you have to watch me die. I love you, and I promise, I will come home. It's gonna be okay."

I stare up at the trees. I'm so hungry, I wouldn't be surprised if the treetops started blurring into white nothingness. Instead, I give in to the sticky tendrils of sleep that pull at me.

I am tangled in a net. I am screaming for Thresh. I see the flash of a spear flying towards me. I see an arrow flying the other way. I hear screaming. Someone-Thresh-is crying. There is blood. It's not on me, though. It's on the ground a few feet away. I wake suddenly to the boom of a cannon that is not mine. The last thing I see before waking is a smile on Thresh's lips. We're laughing, both of us.


	12. Chapter 12 Change Of Luck

"Hey, Mom. Dad. Melody."

Her words are hushed, but still audible. The girl from Five stands in the small clearing below. Her red hair glints in the sunlight, her eyes flicker back and forth.

"I'm okay. I love you guys so much. But I'm about to do something really stupid and dangerous, so I want you to know I love you in case…" She coughs. "In case I d-die."

She lowers her head and treks off. I stare after her in astonishment. She must have been talking to her family. Mom and Dad is self-explanatory. Melody must be her sister or something. So many people whose families will cry when they die, cry their hearts out. The Careers won't care about those families. But when someone from my District wins, or any other outlying District, we have to think about those other families who just sit there thinking of their dead child.

The boy from 10 died last night. I imagine his family now. Their neighbors offering hushed words of comfort. Perhaps his mother will shut down. Perhaps the neighborhood will have his picture up, and I'm sure they have a memorial wall for the children they lose in the Hunger Games like we do. Is his picture up yet?

The Capitol is sick. If I win, which I won't, I will make sure the other families know I mourn their loss as much as I do. I mourn people I totally ignored in training, never met in my life before, and didn't even know the name of.

* * *

"Rue! Rue!" The whispers come and find me. I look up. I know it's Thresh. He grins.

"Hear what happened?" he asks.

"No…" I say.

"The girl from Five stole from the Careers! She stole from them!"

"I didn't hear a cannon."

"She got away."

"She's really clever." I say stupidly. That's all I can manage. Someone stole from the Careers and survived? Amazing.

"Yeah, she is." Thresh's words are cut off by a cannon's fire. _Boom_.

"Five?" I whisper. Thresh shakes his head.

"I'm gonna go check it out," I breathe. Before he can utter a word, I am off, running towards the lake, to the Career's camp. Just about very death has something to do with them.

I peer out from the bushes. The Careers stand over a body, but I can't see who. I think it's one of them. Dark hair. No, wait. All three Careers are standing over the boy from 3, Leon's, body.

I step out of my hiding spot, and a net snaps around my body. I scream as I crash onto the ground. They all whip around to see their target, Little Eleven, Rue, in a net, hopeless.

"Thresh!" I yell. "Thresh! Thresh, help! Help! Thresh, help! _Thresh_!"

"May I have the honor?" sneers Marvel.

Clove sighs but nods. "Only if I get her partner, and Cato the girl from 5."

"Cool," Marvel agrees. He holds his spear in one hand. My body is shaking. This is it, then. The cameras are surely on me. Thresh probably didn't hear me. I'm going to die now. I made it to the final 6. Not bad. I close my eyes, and I hear twigs snapping. Thresh is here! He bursts from the underbrush, with of all things, a bow in his hand. He pulls an arrow from his quiver and aims it at Marvel. The sight of such a little weapon on Thresh's muscular form is strange.

The arrow goes flying, hits Marvel in the stomach. But not before he lets go of the spear and it comes flying for me. I roll to the side in desperation. There is a small _thud_ as it hits, though the pain doesn't come, and Thresh screams.


	13. Chapter 13 Not So Lucky

Chapter Thirteen

The pain still isn't coming, which is odd because I just got a spear in me, and that should hurt, right? I'm too scared to look down at where it hit me. But I'm not dead yet, so I guess it wasn't my heart.

The Tributes from Two take off, which is pretty funny. Two big, tough Tributes running away from a Tribute from an outlying District. There is blood on the ground a few feet away where the boy from 1, Marvel, is dying. It suddenly hits me. Spear. Bow and arrow. Screaming. Crying. Blood. My dream. This is my dream.

"Oh, Rue…" Thresh whispers, dropping to his knees beside me. I gaze up at him. He is crying.

'You have to win." I say softly.

"I will Rue, I'll win for-" his eyes flicker down to the spear. Is it that bad?

"Rue! This doesn't hurt, right?" his voice is sharp, brimming with shock. Overjoyed shock. Why on earth does he sound so happy and relieved?

"No…" I say slowly. I force myself to look down at where the spear hit-and then a smile spreads across my face. I may die, but I'm not going to die today. The spear missed me-sort of. When I rolled over, all it hit was a corner of my open jacket. Not me. No wonder it didn't hurt.

"It missed me!" I say in delight, stating the obvious. "It missed me!"

Thresh nods solemnly. "Yeah, it did." He pulls out his knife and cuts me out of the net quickly.

I pull the spear out and look at my jacket, which now has a gaping hole near the zipper.

"Rest in peace, jacket," I say in mock seriousness, and we both laugh and hug. Marvel's cannon goes off and we fall into silence.

"Five left," I whisper.

"Four to go." Thresh says grimly. "Listen to me, Rue. You really have to win, okay? Please, win for me and win for your family."

I look up at him. "I don't stand a chance, Thresh. I'm lucky, I guess, to make it down to the final 5, but I can't win. Eleven needs their victor this year. _You_ have to win."

"No." Thresh's voice is harsh. "I have nothing to win for, nothing at all. You have your sisters, your parents…"

"And you your grandmother and cousin. She loves you, Thresh. It'll rip Lilac apart to see you die."

"And it won't hurt your family to see _you_ die?"

I look at my dirt-streaked hands. "You're my best friend, Thresh."

He pulls me close. "I know. And that's why you have to win for me."

"Thresh…"

"Stop it, Rue! Just stop. You're going to win and that's all there is to it." He stands rather suddenly, disappears into the woods. I sit there, staring after him, and wondering whether or not the cameras filmed that. I don't want everyone at home to see that.


	14. Chapter 14 A Haunting Dream

Chapter Fourteen

"Rue." Suzy's young voice reaches me in my sleep.

I sit up sharply, and she stands there in a world of white and swirling hues of blue. She wears a long white dress. At first I think that I've died at last, and that I am now in the afterlife, but then why would Suzy be here? Unless…

"Suzy!" I cry out to her, rushing to her side. She meets eyes with me.

"Rue." She says again. Her voice is a whispery echo.

"Suzy, are you…are you okay?" I hiss, in a panic.

Suzy nods slowly. "I'm not dead, if that's what you mean. I just miss you, Rue."

I smile gently, and pull her into my lap. I notice that I'm not wearing the same angel-like white gown. I am still in the smoke-black and red Arena outfit.

"I miss you, too, Suzy, with all my heart."

"Will you come home soon?" she murmurs, burying her little angelic face into my shoulder.

"Yes, Suzy, I promise I will."

"When?" she breathes.

"I don't know. But I will come home. I'll come home and win for you, for everyone at home."

"Is Thresh going to come home, too?" Suzy asks softly. I can't help wonder if she is dreaming the same thing as me at this moment. She probably is.

The question slaps me hard across the face. _Is Thresh going to come home, too?_

_No, Suzy. Not if I come home. If I don't come home, though, Thresh will, I know he will. _

"Yes…just in a very different way than me." I say hesitantly.

Suzy raises her little girl eyes up at me. "He's going to die." She says it so easily, as if she knew it all along. It shocks me. Does she know in the waking world, too, or just in her dream state?

She deserves for me to be honest. "No. Suzy, I need you to listen to me. Thresh is not going to die. _I'm _going to die. Me. Stay strong after I go, okay, Suzy?"

Suzy lowers her gaze. "I don't want you to die. I don't want Thresh to die, either."

"I know, Suzy, neither do I."

XXX

I am jerked from sleep. That's happening a lot these days. All I can remember is Suzy. My little sister, my little angel. It's going to rip her up to see me die.

I lean back against my branch, whispering, "You have to win, Thresh. I can't. So it's _got _to be you."

And then a cannon fires. I gasp and look up. Oh, God – please don't let it be Thresh. Anyone but him, he has to come home! He _has _to!

As if on cue, the faces of the fallen today show in the sky. First they show Marvel, the boy from One. The next face could be that of Thresh.

Marvel's face seems to loom in the sky tauntingly. _You'll never find out who the other one is. Never. _Then they show the next face, and it's Cato's face. Cato, the tough boy from Two. Dead. Finally, they show the boy from Three.

We are now down to the final four. Clove. Five. Thresh. Me. The odds have been in my favor so far, letting me live this long. It's always amazing to the Capitol, when a twelve-year-old makes it so far in their cruel Games. Yes, the odds have been in my favor. But for how much longer?


	15. Chapter 15 The Storm

Chapter Fifteen

"Rue! Rue!" I hear Thresh call out to me. I look up in surprise. I hadn't expected him to come so soon, what with the little incident and all.

"Thresh," I say. "You came."

He nods grimly and drops to his knees next to me. He drops his axe at his knees. Despite the faint light, it is stained in something ugly and black: blood.

I stare at the weapon in horrified shock. Has he killed someone? I remember, suddenly, that Cato's face was in the sky tonight. But surely…

You killed two people, Rue. He already killed the boy from Four. Who's to say he won't kill another Career?

"Yes, I killed him. Cato."

His voice is haunted and low, full of remorse. "I was going to throw it at Clove…but he jumped in front of the axe right before it hit him. He died at once. And…I guess I could've killed Clove too, but…Rue, they were in love. She was weaker than me then, and I had to let her say goodbye to him."

I stare at his face, the sweat rolling off his face, the guilt shimmering in his eyes. "They were in love. He loved her so much he killed himself so she might come home. Even in District Two, humanity can happen in ways that are beautiful and tragic."

I close my eyes. I think of the girl from Two, Clove, and imagine her wails at his dead body. I think of when the spear almost hit me, how Thresh reacted. Of the cries I hear in the Bloodbath, when that Genevieve girl died, and her District partner Mark cried for her. People others care about go into these Games. And only one can make it out. With as sigh, I get up and look at Thresh.

"I'm gonna go, okay?"

He nods, eyes not moving to look at me. "Okay."

I begin making my way to the underbrush when his voice stops me. "Rue?"

I turn. "Yeah?"

He pauses. "I don't know if we'll see eachother again. We're down to four people and I'm the last boy. I want to say goodbye."

I nod. As the odds go, Clove will be bloodthirsty. Hungry for revenge that her dear one, the joy of her heart, has been killed by a boy from a mere outlying District.

We hug, the tightest hug ever. I look up at the sky. The clouds are gray. I feel a raindrop on my nose. I wonder how many times I will feel the rain.

The drops come faster now, _pitter-pat, pitter-pat_. I pull away slowly from Thresh's caring arms, blinking.

"Good luck, Thresh," I say softly, my voice thin.

"Good luck, Rue. And…be careful of Clove, 'kay?"

"I will be." I say, voice soft and barely audible. And then I turn and walk away, whistling the four-note song as I go. I hear him whistle back. I turn around a final time and press three fingers to my lips. Point them at him. He returns the gesture.

I can't take it anymore. This could very well be I ever see him. I whip around and take off, running fast as I can.

Lightning flashes overhead. Two seconds pass and then thunder crackles. Or is it a cannon? I sigh and make my way to a clearing, knowing trees will certainly lead to my certain doom. As if on cue, the second I exit out into a flowery meadow, lightning hits a tree directly behind me. On instinct I scream as the tree collapses onto the ground with a heavy thump, landing where I was only seconds before. Shivering, I lower my backpack down into the center of the clearing and pull out my sleeping bag. I crawl in and try to sleep, but who could at this point?

Lightning flashes again. A cannon goes off. This time I know it was a cannon, somehow, and not more thunder.

And just like every other time I hear that boom, the same thought enters my head, playing in a constant loop.

Please not Thresh, please not Thresh, please don't let it be him.

The anthem begins to play. And the face shows in the sky. And when I see that face, I vomit up everything I've eaten over the past day. Because the caption beneath the face says:

_District 11, Thresh_.


	16. Chapter 16 Pain

Chapter Sixteen

Insanity. What is insanity? What does it mean, really? Who are we to know, really? Like schizophrenia. Who are we to say a schizophrenic is mad? Perhaps the crazies are just more observant than we are.

Whatever insanity is, I know I lose it then and there. Screaming, ripping up blades of grass, sobbing uncontrollably.

_No, no, no, he can't be dead. Thresh can't be dead._

Lightheaded, I run through the trees in the storm. I know it's dangerous, but what does it matter? I run, run as fast as I can to where Thresh was. I feel like I should do something. Hold his hand, hug him one last time, anything. He's dead. My best friend is dead.

I arrive in time to see the hovercraft leaving, his body already inside. I scream again, a madwoman, and pick up a large rock, throw it at the hovercraft.

"Stop it!" I yell. "Stop, now! He's…not…dead! STOP!"

Of course the hovercraft doesn't do anything. I sink to the ground in despair. Please, God…not Thresh. I never expected him to go.

Blinking rapidly, I sob for what seems like hours until the treetops begin… blurring…white…everything turning white…

When I wake up I still lie leaning against the tree. Despite my blackout, I still seem to be alive. Three left, two to go.

Sighing, I clench my blistered fists. Thresh is gone, and there's nothing I can do about it. Nothing but win. Win for my parents, for my sisters, for Suzy, win for myself. Win for Thresh.

I stand shakily and grip the straps of my backpack and walk into the bushes. The rain has stopped, but it's still very wet. I find some large leaves covered in droplets of rain water.

Water…I didn't realize how much I needed it. I bring the leaf to my lips, feeling the soft iciness trickle down my throat. I reach into my backpack and free my nearly-empty water canteen. I fill it with water, fresh perfect water.

As I turn around I see a pair of green eyes watching me. Startled, I whirl around. It's the girl from Five, peering at me.

I shy away instinctively. She comes forward.

"I'm not looking for an alliance," she says, "but I won't hurt you either."

I nod, slowly. Unsure what to say or do.

"I'm sorry about your District partner," she adds softly.

"And I am for yours." I manage awkwardly.

She shrugs. "It's okay, I didn't really know him. Um, what I was going to ask you…" – she fumbles in her jacket pocket and brandishes a berry. "-Are these safe?"

She holds the small bluish berry up, rolling it between her fingers. A blueberry.

I nod. "Yeah, of course. Don't you have blueberries back in Five?"

Five shakes her head. "No, we don't really have plants. Well, anyways, bye. Good luck. Better one of us than her."

And then she's gone.

_Better one of us than her_.

She's right, if I'm not going to win, than I'd really rather it was Five as opposed to Clove.

I continue for hours on end, searching the woods for who-knows-what. And then a cannon fires. I look up, not sure if I want it to be the girl from Five or not. But after darkness falls and the anthem plays, Five's face shows in the sky. She, too, is now dead. Did Clove kill her?

No, somehow I know that's not the case. I think of how she asked me if the blueberry was safe. How similar nightlock looks compared to the perfectly edible berry, and I know.

_Final Two_, I think. Well, if I do die, I'll be last. I'll have made it very far in these Games.

A snarl cuts off my thoughts. And I see a streak of dark hair. Clove leaps from the bushes, knife wielded. Only she's not pointing it at me. She can't see me from here.

I look to where she is looking and see it. A disgusting creature, with mild humanlike anatomy. Limbs, torso, head. Only it's easily the most terrible creature I've ever encountered. Where a head should be there is a mace. Where there would be arms there are two long sais, with spinning circular blades at each end. More of them come out. More…more…

I leap to my feet and run. Run as fast as I can towards the Cornucopia.


	17. Chapter 17 The Games End

Chapter Seventeen

It's down to you and that girl from Two, Rue. Clove. You've made it this far, you have to win…

I run like I have never run before. Not when I was eight and I was caught stealing an apple at my shift in the orchards because we were going through especially hard times at home. Not in those moments right before the Bloodbath began and I went to the woods. Thresh was still alive then. Not when I killed Glimmer and Jean and the Careers were chasing me.

For some reason I go to the Cornucopia. It's where my Games began and it's where they will end, no matter what the outcome.

Clove clearly doesn't see the point of trying to kill me now. Anyways, she's as scared as I am. Behind those cruel dark eyes is something I have never seen in them before. Fear. She runs alongside me until we hit the clearing. We are about seven meters from the Cornucopia. If only I can get up there…within moments I feel my hands press against the cool gold metal and my fingers curl round the soft folds of the horn. I pull myself up. One of the monsters has slashed Clove in the leg with its sai arms.

She shrieks in frustrated agony and whirls around, reaches into her belt and pulls out a knife. She throws it directly at the weird creature which collapses backwards.

I glance at her then continue to climb. But not before one of them unexpectedly takes a leap at me, blades spinning. One of the long blades bites into my left shoulder. I wail and instinctively drop to the ground to clutch the now heavily bleeding wound.

Clove stabs another monster and begins climbing up the horn despite the deep gash in her leg. After a moment's hesitation I follow suit. The pain in my shoulder is utterly unbearable and when I reach the top of the Cornucopia I collapse onto the ground, eyes slowly closing.

Clove has dropped to the ground too holding her leg. So now this is it. Whoever bleeds to death first. My wound is much bigger than hers, so it'll be her. After all this, all the pain and struggle to survive, after killing two people at desperate measures, this is it. District 2 will have the victor of the 74th Hunger Games.

One of the creatures begins to climb up the horn. I scream, somehow, gurgling up blood. Clove hisses and throws her knife. Still, the pain has distracted her and she misses. The creature continues to climb. It attacks Clove first. The axe drives into her side and she screams an animal scream. She gropes for her knife and stabs it in the back. It falls off of her and rolls onto the floor below. The creature is dead, but there are still so many.

Clove crawls onto her knees and stares down at the mass of the creatures below. It is evident that it causes her great pain just to hold herself up. She looks over at me before dropping, unable to hold on any longer, onto her back. She lies there for a moment, while I wait, wait for a cannon to fire.

Clove looks up at the stars and a small smile passes over her face. She coughs up blood. And then she speaks.

Her voice is hoarse and weak, a faint whisper. Barely audible. But I hear it. "Hello, Cato," she says. Then her head rolls back, over the edge of the Cornucopia.

The treetops begin blurring as I hear her cannon go off. Claudius Templesmith speaks. "Ladies and gentlemen…may I present to you…"

White begins to press in on the edges of my vision. "I love you, Suzy," I whisper.

"…victor of the 74th Hunger Games…"

Almost the entire world has disappeared now. Looks like they won't have their victor after all. I feel the blood pumping from my gaping wound, feel my heartbeat slowly dying…

I hear Claudius say something, but it's in the background, I don't really register it. I see a hovercraft above me before the whiteness takes over, and just like that, the world disappears.


	18. Chapter 18 Peace At Last

Chapter Eighteen

Bright white light engulfs me. I squint. Is this the afterlife, I wonder?

As my eyes adjust I see a tiled white ceiling above me and sit up slowly. No, I'm in a hospital of some kind. _The Capitol._ And I realize now I've won. I've won the Hunger Games. I won for myself, for my family. For Thresh. The pain explodes like a grenade in my shoulder and I scream, dropping back down on the bed.

A face forms in front of me. Frankly, it's one of the few faces I'd want to see right now. Chaff's face. However, there is one other face that would be nice to see. Thresh's. And I'll never see it again.

I manage to sit up and throw my arms around his neck. He throws his one arm around me, eyes closed in understanding.

I bury my face into his shoulder, feeling the tears come. They dampen his shirt, but he doesn't care.

"How did he…how did…" I choke. But I can't say it. I can't bring myself to say it. At last, somehow, I manage. "How did he die, Chaff?"

Chaff's hand gently lowers me down onto my bed. I don't really want to look him in the eye. So I stare at my shoulder, all bandaged up. It doesn't look nearly as bad as it feels.

Chaff squeezes my hand. "The storm. Lightning hit a tree. The tree fell over and crushed him at once. He wouldn't have felt any pain, Rue. That much I promise you."

I pause, lowering my gaze. "I think he's happy I won, though."

Chaff nods in agreement. "You know what? I think so too, Rue. I think so too."


	19. Chapter 19 Homecoming

Chapter Nineteen

After several hours in the Capitol hospital I am pronounced healthy enough to go and face the Capitol for my Victor's interview. I sit awkwardly in the large white chair facing all of the Capitol. _They killed Thresh. They killed my best friend. _

Caesar Flickerman beams at me. "Well, now, Rue. Did you expect to win?"

I shake my head. "No. No, definitely not. I thought…I thought Thresh would win. Him or maybe one of the kids from Two, Cato and Clove." I refuse to look at him. Or the citizens of the Capitol. So I stare at my feet, which have been slipped into small glass slippers that pinch my toes.

"But you did win. How do you feel about winning?" Caesar persists. He leans forward and brushes my knee.

"Glad." I say softly. Laughter washes over the Capitol. As I sit awkwardly on the edge of my chair. And then I feel the anger. It flashes through me and I add, none too gently, "glad, but not lucky. I don't think I'm lucky to win."

Caesar laughs. "Ah, no, course not! You were certain to win, right? I like this one! I like her-"

I cut him off. "No. I thought I would die. But in a way, I would've been better off dead. My best friend died, you know."

Caesar lowers his gaze. "Bad luck."

I stand up and smooth my skirt. "Very much so."

And when I look down a my hands, I see my best friend in my mind. I see Thresh.

* * *

"Rue."

I am looking into a youthful little face I thought I would never see again. Suzy.

I bury my face into her little shoulder and feel the tears come as I hold her, my beautiful baby sister, close to my chest.

"Suzy," I whisper into her ear, "I told you I'd come home for you."

Suzy nods in agreement and takes my necklace. It's woven out of straw and on it is a little wooden star Amanda carved for my eleventh birthday.

Suzy pulls away slowly, my necklace still clutched in her small fist, head cocked to the side. "Thresh came, too. But not on the train. In a hovercraft, in a box. He's dead, isn't he?"

A knife stabs me hard in the gut. _Yes, Suzy, he's dead. One of us had to die. _

So I say, "He's still with us."

"In here." Suzy points to her heart, and I nod slowly. "Yes, he is."

I stand up to see Thresh's grandmother and cousin watching me. I step forward and fall into his cousin's arms.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, "that he couldn't come home, too."

Lilac bites her lip. "Oh, no," she says, giving me a squeeze. "We're going to miss him, but we're glad you could home, Rue. You rather than…" she shakes her head. "Clove or Cato or someone."

And I nod, eyes red from all the crying of these past few days, and say, "But Thresh…"

Lilac shakes her head. "He wanted it to be you, Rue. He always did."


	20. Epilouge

"It's your shift, today, the three of you."

Emma pouts, her little eight-year-old arms crossed over her chest. "I don't _wanna_ work…" she complains.

I grin, poking her gently in the chest. "Yeah, well, if you want to be able to eat, we all have to work. It's how we get our money. And I worked yesterday."

Amanda pulls on her jacket. It's a cool October day, the wind crisp and cruel. She'll need it. And, for that matter, so will Suzy. I pass her her jacket, brand-new and brightly colored, which I bought her for her fifth birthday last week with a small amount of money from the heaping amount I got for winning the Games. We never would have been able to afford a jacket like that, with its deep, warm pockets and fake fur trim at the cuffs. But winning the Hunger Games changes someone's life. Both for the better and for the worse.

The five of us walk out of our house, a new house in the Victor's Village. Many of the houses are empty, but we've had our fair share if winners. Anyway, District 11 won the 2nd Hunger Games, a girl named Anna. She's very nice, as I've come to know her these past couple months, and almost ninety.

It's a longer walk to the orchards from the Victor's Village. But once I drop off Amanda, Lucy, and Emma, I walk north. The Victor's Village is east of here.

Suzy immeadiatly notices that I'm headed in the wrong direction. "The house is that way," she says in her small voice, pointing.

I turn around. "I know."

Suzy cocks her head at me. "Are we going to see Thresh?"

_God, she's smart_. "Yes. Yes, we are."

She races over to catch up with me. "We're going to put flowers on his stone?"

I nod. In a few minutes, we arrive at the smaller cemetery of Eleven. The one where we bury our fallen Tributes. I walk straight up to the freshest gravestone. Drop to my knees.

"Hi, Thresh," I whisper. "How you doing, wherever you are?"

Silence, of course. I close my eyes, feeling my eyes burn as tears cloud my vision. I touch the stone.

"Suzy's here, too," I whisper.

Suzy says, "I'm going to pick some flowers for Thresh."

"He'll like that." I murmur. My little sister leaves.

I press my hand to his tombstone, and then I manage, "I'm going to sing."

I look up. A mockingjay has landed on the tombstone. It will carry on the melody I'm about to sing. It's only really sung in Districts 11 and 12. I know that. It's very old. A lullaby. When I used to sing this song back before the Games, Thresh would go very quiet, listening. And if he's here, which I know he will be, he will be glad to hear me sing. He always did.

I stare at the mockingjay for a moment, and sing.

"_Deep in the meadow, under the willow,_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow,_

_Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes,_

_And when again they open, the sun will rise._"

The mockingjays have begun to carry on the tune. Suzy can be seen picking flowers in the small meadow of to the side of the Tribute Cemetery. I swallow hard, tears burning my eyes as they roll down my cheeks and touch my lips. I taste salt.

"_Here it's safe, and here it's warm,_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm,_

_Here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true,_

_Here is the place I love you. _

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away,_

_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray,_

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay,_"

Suzy pulls off her hair elastic as she makes her way back towards me. She ties it over the bouquet of flowers she picked. Stops and listens.

"_And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm,_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm,_

_Here your dreams are sweet…_"

I break off for a moment and gasp. I run my fingers over Thresh's stone, then compose myself and continue.

"_…and tomorrow brings them true,_

_Here is the place I love you._"

I cut myself off abruptly. Quietly, I take the flowers from Suzy and put them in front of me. Close up, I realize she's picked his favorite. Then, I stand up. I have to go now. I don't know why, but I do know that now it's time.

Suzy stares at me for a long moment, then takes my hand, understanding.

Hand in hand, we walk away, leaving a small bouquet of rue flowers behind us.


End file.
